Sharpening device for food slicing machines



1956 J. GILBERT ET AL 2,769,289

SHARPENING DEVICE FOR Fon sucmc MACHINES Filed Sept. 9, 1955 III/[1111A/7IIIII Ila-"mks Jack 6/: 25 t '47 72mm ,g; -A I l I I I I ilk UnitedStates Patent A SHARPENING DEVICE FOR FOOD SLICING MACHINES JackGilbert, Newburgh, and Harry Preble, Jr., Cross River, N. Y., assignorsto General Slicing Machine Co., Inc., Walden, N. Y., a corporation ofNew York Application September 9, 1955, Serial No. 533,416

4 Claims. (Cl. 51-248) The present invention relates to a sharpeningdevice for the blade of a food slicing machine and more particularly tothe type which is carried on the machine, manually manipulated fromnon-use to use position and having a spring means to restore it to itsnormal non-use position after release of manual hold.

An object of this invention is to provide a food slicing machine with anovel and improved blade sharpening device, which is easily mounted onand just as easily detachable from the machine.

Another object hereof is to provide such a sharpening device of noveland improved construction, which utilizes the mentioned spring to holdit mounted on the machine and it is by manual manipulation of thisspring that said device is rendered detachable from the machine.

A further object hereof is to provide a slicing machine with asharpening device which is hidden from view, except for an exposedelement which is manually shifted to operate same.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved slicing machine andblade sharpener therefor of the type set forth, which is reasonablycheap to manufacture, easy to use and eflicient in carrying out thepurposes for which such apparatus is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosureproceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a food slicing machine provided with ablade sharpening device in accordance with the teachings of thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom view of the slicing machine ofFig. 1, showing the sharpening device in normal non-use position.

Fig. 3 is a section taken at lines 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken at lines 4-4 in Fig. 2.

In the drawings, the numeral 15 designates generally a food slicingmachine having a rotatable disc 16 as its cutting blade. In order thatthe sharpening means 17 shall be hidden from view as it is preferred tobe, it may be housed in a suitable cavity 18 open upwardly from thebottom surface of the base frame part 19 of said machine. In fact suchbase may have a downward skirt or flange 19', at least part Way aroundits perimeter in order to provide housing space for the sharpening means17, below the top panel 19" of said base frame part. The blade 16 is somounted on the frame of the machine, that its bottom portion is belowthe panel 19" and free to be contacted by the sharpening member whichmay -be a rotatable wheel Patented Nov. 6, 1956 "ice 21 to rest on. Itis practical that said arm shall be part of a bell-crank 23, whose otherarm 24 extends to the flange 19' where it contacts an operating elementor button 25 which is a double-headed shank, slidably mounted through anappropriate hole in the flange 19. In fact such button may even be apart of the bell-crank 23, provided head 25' is omitted or removable, soas to permit the mounting and removal of the sharpening means 17 as aunitary structure, which is the preferred embodiment. In any event, theprotuberance 25" acts as a stop to limit the movement of the sharpeningwheel 20 away from the blade 16.

Of importance to note, is the triple function of the wire spring 26.First it holds the bell-crank 23 from slipping 01f the pin 22. Secondly,it presses said bell-crank against the shoulder 22' to attain goodbearing, and thirdly, said spring serves to return the bellcrank to itsinitial rest position so that the sharpening wheel 20 moves away fromthe blade 16, after hold is released of the button 25.

As mentioned, said spring 26 is made preferably of wire. One of its endsis anchored to the frame of the machine 15, which may be by having oneend of said spring bent and positioned within the anchoring hole 27. Theother end of said spring is bent into a hook form 28 in order tostraddle the arm 21 at a point intermediate the sharpening wheel 20 andthe pivot pin 22. Said spring 26 is flexed by its intermediate coil formwhereby arm 21 is held away from the blade 16 so that the sharpeningwheel is out of contact from said blade. The free portion of saidspring, meaning the part thereof indicated by the numeral 29, is flexedto urge the bell crank 23 against the seat offered it by the shoulder22. The intermediate coil form in said spring, denoted by the numeral30, is about the boss 31 in which the axis pin 22 is set, in theembodiment illustrated.

When the sharpening device 17 is off the pin 22, the spring 26 willassume the position indicated by the dotted lines 26 in Figs. 2 and 3.

The simplicity of the structure of the sharpening means taught hereinand the ease of its assembly, offer economy in the cost of manufacture.The bell-crank 23 being a simple metal stamping of little cost, it maybe discarded,

with a worn sharpening wheel, and a new assembly 17 easily installed.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applicationswithout departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It istherefore intended and desired that the embodiment shown herein shall bedeemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall coverall patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to thefollowing claims rather than to the specific description herein toindicate the scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. In a sharpening device for the cutting edge of a blade which ismovably mounted on a frame, an axis pin extending from the frame, a wirespring anchored on said pin and extending therefrom; the free end ofsaid spring being in the form of a book, an arm pivotally mounted onsaid pin and being capable of sliding on and off said pin,

. a blade-sharpening element carried on said arm away from said pin;said hook extending away from said pin in the direction of thesharpening element and engaging said arm; said spring being'biasedwhereby it presses the arm towards the part of the frame said pinextends fromand urges said am and sharpening element away from theblade, means on the frame, acting as a stop to limit the movement of thearm away from the blade and an operatthe sharpening element; said springbeing biased whereby when said arm is removed from the pin anddisengaged from said hook, said hook will assume a position further awayfrom the blade and towards the part of the frame said pin extends from.

2. In the device as defined in claim 1, wherein the mentioned arm restson a seat around the pin; the spring being biased to press said armagainst said seat.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the said arm is part of abell-crank; the second arm of which bell crank constitutes the member tobe shifted for movement of the sharpening element towards the blade.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the pin,

spring, arm and sharpening member are covered by the frame and whereinthe operating member extends through such frame to be accessible formanual manipulation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,338,478 Zawistowski Apr. 27, 1920 2,414,152 Jackson Jan. 14, 19472,580,531 Driskill Jan. 1, 1952 2,621,454 Callahan Dec. 16, 19522,715,305 Brown Aug. 16, 1955

